Australia's most populous state said on Friday restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus will be eased to allow cafes, restaurants and pubs to have up to 50 seated patrons as efforts to revive the stalled economy pick up pace.
New South Wales (NSW) said the easing of the restrictions which previously limited cafes and restaurants to 10 customers at a time, will begin on June 1.
"Losing 221,000 jobs in April was a disaster," state premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney, referring to state-wide job losses. "We don't want to see that continue.".
Australia's hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by social distancing restrictions imposed in March to slow the spread of coronavirus, with restaurants and cafes only able to offer takeaway services until earlier this month.
Nationally, nearly 600,000 people were in April forced out of work by the coronavirus restrictions.
Seeking to avoid a prolonged economic depression, Australia said it would spend A$130 billion between March and September to subsidise the wages of around 6 million people. About half the country's workforce is on the JobKeeper scheme.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said about 7% of those on the scheme are from the country's hospitality sector, so relaxing restrictions would allow thousands of people to return to work.
"This is about keeping people in jobs and businesses in business. We want to breathe life into the New South Wales economy," said Perrottet.
NSW - which has recorded about half of Australia's near 7,100 COVID-19 cases - has moved quickly to reopen compared to other states.
Australia earlier this month agreed a three-step plan to remove the remaining restrictions by July, though implementation is down to state and territory leaders, who have argued over the pace of reopening state borders.
RATINGS OUTLOOK DETERIORATES
Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded its outlook on Australia's coveted 'AAA' rating to "negative" from "stable", citing the hit to the country's economy and public finances from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our measures are temporary, targeted and proportionate to the challenge we face and will ensure Australia bounces back stronger on the other side," federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in an emailed statement.
Australia has also sought exemption from a requirement that travellers arriving in the UK quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The British government is planning a 14-day quarantine for most people arriving in the country in the coming weeks to try to prevent a second peak of the pandemic, with details to be finalised next month.
Heathrow Airport has proposed Britain should set up “travel bubbles” with low-risk countries exempt from the requirement.
"Australia has led the world in the successful containment of COVID-19, which clearly means that travellers coming from Australia would pose a low risk to the rest of the world," Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said in a statement.
Birmingham said Australia has no plans to open its borders to non-citizens, while all returning locals will still have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival.
Reuters
Fri May 22 2020
People enjoy a sunny evening by the water in front of the Sydney Opera House amidst the easing of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Sydney, Australia, May 20, 2020 - REUTERS/Loren Elliott
[KOLUMNIS] Penyesuaian pesakit dengan stoma: 5 perkara yang perlu anda ketahui
STOMA merupakan bukaan usus di bahagian badan pesakit yang terhasil selepas pesakit menjalani pembedahan berkaitan usus.
Pasangan suami isteri, dua lelaki didakwa perdagang wanita Malaysia di Peru
Sepasang suami isteri dan dua lelaki yang dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen mengaku tidak bersalah atas pertuduhan memperdagang dua wanita Malaysia di Peru.
PM ucap selamat raikan Good Friday, Easter Sunday kepada penganut Kristian
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengucapkan selamat menyambut hari Good Friday dan Easter Sunday kepada seluruh penganut Kristian.
Singapura rampas 1.5 tan produk segar dan makanan proses dari Malaysia
Kira-kira 1.5 tan produk segar dan makanan diproses yang diimport secara haram dari Malaysia dirampas Agensi Makanan Singapura (SFA).
AWANI Ringkas: Jumlah hari tol percuma kekal
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Kemarau: KADA anggar 40,000 tan metrik hasil padi terjejas
Kawasan tersebut sangat kering, mengakibatkan tanah merekah dan tanaman rosak teruk.
Pemuda Dong warisi perniagaan buah kabung
Proses mendapatkan buah yang turut dikenali sebagai buah nau dalam kalangan masyarakat utara itu rumit dan memerlukan kesabaran tinggi.
[KOLUMNIS] Malaysia perlu bijak tangani isu diplomatik, jangan biarkan dibuli negara besar
Sekiranya Malaysia hendak mengekalkan status sebagai sebuah negara berkecuali di samping menjaga kepentingan ekonomi negara, kepimpinan negara perlu untuk mempertahankan kedaulatan negara.
Ada keperluan pinda Seksyen 21 Akta Polis - KPN
Terdapat keperluan untuk PDRM melakukan pindaan terhadap Seksyen 21 Akta Polis 1967, yang berkaitan dengan tugasan mengiring di jalan raya.
Kegiatan haram di KL: Lebih daripada seorang pegawai kanan polis dipercayai terlibat - Azam Baki
Lebih daripada seorang pegawai kanan Polis Diraja Malaysia dipercayai terlibat dalam aktiviti melindungi kegiatan haram di ibu negara, tegas Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Tan Sri Azam Baki.
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman turut jana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia - PM Anwar
Lawatan rasmi ke Australia dan Jerman baru-baru ini, selain mendatangkan keberhasilan yang positif dengan potensi pelaburan, ia juga telah menjana potensi jualan eksport produk Malaysia.
KESUMA anjur forum, pameran kerjaya berasaskan pekerjaan hijau
Forum bertujuan menggalakkan perkembangan pekerjaan hijau selari dengan keperluan pembangunan ekonomi yang terangkum dan persekitaran mapan.
Kabinet bincang tawaran anjur Sukan Komanwel esok
Kerajaan akan memperincikan mengenai cadangan penganjuran sukan Komanwel 2026 dalam mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri, esok.
'Dua tahun tak cukup buat persiapan Sukan Komanwel'
Katanya, tempoh dua tahun merupakan satu masa yang singkat buat negara untuk membuat persiapan menganjurkan temasya besar tersebut.
Majoriti pelaburan diluluskan dalam sektor pembuatan disumbang pengembangan operasi sedia ada - Tengku Zafrul
Majoriti pelaburan diluluskan dalam sektor pembuatan tahun lepas disumbang daripada pengembangan operasi perniagaan sedia ada.
Lihat Malaysia sebagai pelaburan paling utama, destinasi modal - Anwar
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyeru komuniti pelaburan antarabangsa supaya melihat Malaysia sebagai pelaburan paling utama dan sebuah destinasi modal.
Malaysia, Australia jalin hubungan ekonomi lebih kukuh menerusi empat kerangka utama - Anwar
Anwar berkata hubungan ekonomi antara Australia dan Malaysia berkembang kukuh sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini berdasarkan kepentingan geoekonomi bersama dan usaha memakmurkan serantau.
Anwar tarik pelabur Australia, ASEAN, kongsi persekitaran kondusif Malaysia
Anwar menegaskan kepentingan kestabilan politik, kejelasan dasar serta tadbir urus baik dalam mewujudkan persekitaran kondusif bagi pelaburan serta pertumbuhan ekonomi Malaysia.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Nasib Australia terletak pada Asia Tenggara - PM Anthony Albanese
Australia komited untuk bekerjasama dengan pemimpin ASEAN, kerana nasib negara mereka terletak pada Asia Tenggara.